


Bed and Breakfast

by Skyler10



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Road Trips, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2019-01-10 11:38:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12298467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyler10/pseuds/Skyler10
Summary: Best friends John and Rose go on a post-uni road trip with Mickey and Martha!





	Bed and Breakfast

**Author's Note:**

> Written as askbox drabbles for @stupidsatsuma for the Doctor Who Inbox Buddies event on Tumblr!

When John suggested a road trip to Rose, Mickey, & Martha after graduation, Rose was thrilled. What could be better than driving across the UK with her three best friends? Of course, her four-year-long crush on John was an issue, but she’d do what she had done so far: remind herself that he was on to a better future than she’d ever have a shot at. But there was no reason to let the sad realities of life get her down! She was going to enjoy every minute left w/ her mates before they scattered all over.

 

John paced his near-empty flat, avoiding boxes and packing tape. “Relax!” Jack assured him. “It’s not like you’ll be cuddled up to her at night.”

“But it’s Rose,” John whined. “She’s going to be able to tell.”

“She hasn’t so far,” Jack reminded.

John shook his head. “She probably saw right through me on the first day we met.”

“Why don’t you just tell her you love her and get it over with?”

“I can’t lose her friendship, Jack. She doesn’t see me like that.”

Jack sighed.

 

Jack and Ianto waved them off before heading to the airport for their own trip. Mickey, Martha, Rose, and John loaded up the SUV. It was a long drive north to Scotland, made even longer by their “scenic route” detours that John insisted upon. They didn’t have to start their jobs or grad school classes for weeks, so there was no rush. With a playlist they had carefully crafted together before the trip, all seemed off to a good start for the first day or two… until day three, when the rain began.

 

What started as a slow drizzle escalated into pouring by the time the SUV pulled into the parking lot of their B&B. The place was dark, however, with one flickering porchlight.

“Umm, are you sure this is it?” Rose asked.

Martha checked the address. “Must be. Same as the photos online.”

“Sure wish someone hadn’t forgotten to pack the umbrellas,” Mickey grumbled at John.

They dashed to the front door, and John knocked loud enough to wake anyone who had gone to bed early inside. “Anyone there?” he called.

The four looked at each other, now thoroughly soaked, and burst out laughing.

 

Eventually, the B&B’s owner, an old woman with a shawl around her shoulders, opened the door and rushed them inside. Being gentlemen, Mickey and John went back into the rain for the luggage while Rose and Martha signed in and got keys to their rooms. The owner handed the girls each a key to a different room.

“I’ll just hold on to the boys’ key,” Rose said, hinting to the woman that the arrangements were different than she assumed. The woman frowned and shook her head.

“Where are my manners?” the old woman exclaimed. “C’mon in to the tea room.”

The boys returned with the luggage just as her son appeared.

“Roger will take your luggage upstairs,” she said. “They can be a bit tricky.”

She ushered Mickey and John to join Martha and Rose in the dining area where a fire and hot tea awaited them. John smiled as he saw Rose at the table, huddled under a blanket, wet hair darker than it was when dry. The firelight illuminated her features as if she glowed.

 

Rose giggled as John sat next to her on the wood bench. She brushed his wet fringe back from his brow. “You look like you fell in a lake,” she teased. He turned away and ducked his head. “I didn’t say it was a bad thing.” She poked his side. “Kinda cute actually.”

“Yeah?”

She couldn’t help but giggle again. He was so serious! “Yes.”

She tapped his nose and returned to her tea but noticed him preening despite his soaked clothes. Well, with the way his shirt clung to his chest, he had a right.

 

After they finished their tea, they were reluctant to leave the warm tea room, but headed upstairs anyway, knowing they needed the rest for the road tomorrow. When they got to their respective rooms, Martha claimed dibs on one shower and John won rock-paper-scissors with Mickey for theirs. That’s when Rose and Mickey separately realized that they had each other’s bags. Instead of the girls’ luggage in one room and the guys’ luggage in the other, they had been assigned rooms as couples.

 

“Now what?” Rose texted Mickey back. But her question was answered by a frustrated groan from Martha, holding her phone to her ear.

“Mum just texted me,” she said while she waited for him to pick up.

“Trouble?” Rose asked.

“Yeah, Dad and Mickey had a fight last time they were over and Mum just heard about it,” Martha sighed. “Would it be alright if he came to our room to talk it out with them?”

Rose nodded and explained about the luggage anyway, pointing to his bag already in the room.

 

“I know you are John aren’t–” Martha began, “But, well, this might take a while.”

“It’s ok,” Rose assured her. “We’re adults. We can handle a little sleepover.”

Despite her family troubles, Martha grinned wickedly at Rose.

“Oh, not like that,” Rose scolded but giggled herself. She texted the plan to Mickey. No reason to be nervous, Rose thought, trying to calm her irrational nerves. It’s just John. Her best friend. Whom she was madly in love with. Oh, this was going to be a long night.

 

John swallowed as Mickey rushed out of the room to aid his girlfriend with her family troubles. John stood gaping as Rose timidly entered the room. She blushed as her eyes scanned over his body. Suddenly he was very aware that he was standing next to the room’s one bed with a bare chest and low-slung pajama pants. She was still in her damp clothes so he gestured to the en suite. “All yours.”

“Thanks,” she returned, stopping by her bag on the way to pull out her soft sleep shirt and shorts.

 

John was in bed reading by the time Rose was done. She climbed in next to him, trying to convince herself it wasn’t awkward. Just some friendly bed sharing.

“What are you reading?” she asked to break the ice.

“Ghost story,” he responded with an eyebrow waggle.

“You can hold my hand if you get scared,” she offered before she could stop herself. She started to backtrack, but his grin disarmed her.

“I’d like that,” he confessed. Her heart skipped a beat as he leaned in closer.

 

“What if I’m scared already?” John asked, wide eyes belying his suave tone.

Rose saw her chance and took it: “Well, if you’re really, really scared, I can kiss it better.”

John’s jaw dropped. “Doesn’t that only work for injuries?” he asked stupidly.

Rose giggled. “Don’t think it matters. All that matters is, what would you think if we did? Kiss, that is.” She looked up at him demurely through her lashes then back down to pick at imaginary fuzz on the sheet.

John didn’t answer in words.

His lips on hers were heaven. The moment was all too brief. He pulled away, and she swallowed, ready to say it’s ok if he didn’t like her like she liked him and how they could just forget it ever happened if he wanted to, but he was only putting his book on the nightstand.

“Rose,” he asked, spotting her uncertainty, “can I kiss you again?”

She nodded, trying to keep her smile from interfering as their lips met once more.

 

They broke for air, and John whispered, “Wow.”

“Really?” Rose asked, ducking her head modestly.

“I confess I’ve wanted to do that for quite some time,” he replied.

“You could’ve, you know… I wouldn’t have minded,” she mumbled.

He smiled and placed his hand over hers on the quilt. “I’m glad to know that now.”

The warmth in his tone melted her right there. “Have we really spent all this time wishing the other would make the first move?” she giggled.

He shrugged sheepishly. “Afraid we have.” 

 

Rose asked sadly, “Did we miss out on 'us' now that uni is over?”

“No! There's no way I'm letting you go now," he rushed out.

“And we ARE going to live on the same side of London...” she realized.

He beamed. “Rose, would you like to be my girlfriend?”

Her heart skipped a beat. “Yes!” She didn’t wait for his reply to kiss him again.

“We’re getting rather good at that,” he quipped.

“Dunno…Think we could use some more practice.” Rose quirked an eyebrow. He took the hint and snogged her again.

 

In the morning, it was clear something was different. Mickey was the one to figure it out when he saw Rose grab John’s hand under the breakfast table. He crowed, “It worked! They got together!”

“You set this up?!” Rose exclaimed.

“All you needed was a little push,” Martha answered and waved her phone.

“They played us!” Rose said to John, who placed an arm around her shoulder.

“I don’t care how it happened. No one for me but Rose Tyler.”

 

Rose smiled and kissed his cheek.

Martha grinned at her friends’ happiness. “I suppose we can consider last night’s rooming arrangements permanent for the rest of the trip?” she teased.

“Fine by me,” Rose answered, dreamy eyes still on John, who hummed happily.

“That’s settled then,” Mickey concluded with an arm around Martha. After all, John and Rose weren’t the only couple in love in the room. They loaded up their SUV and continued on their journey across Britain: an epic first double date.

 

THE END

 

 


End file.
